Every now and then
by Elf Toshiba
Summary: Hey y'all! I'm back! This story has to do with the series of 'Tortured Souls'. Well, I hope you enjoy! Peace out!


/Every now and then/  
  
The depressing conversation, or rather the end of it, was still ringing through the young girl's mind.  
  
~~  
  
"I love you, Brie." Her ex-boyfriend, Ryo Sanada, had said earlier.  
  
"No you don't, you only think you do." She, Brie Stoker, had replied, turning her face away from him, not allowing him to see her tear-filled eyes.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he'd asked, stunned.  
  
"What about your girlfriend?" she'd countered.  
  
"But, I don't love her, I love you."  
  
"No, you don't. Gomen…" She'd been barely able to force the statement past the lump in her throat.  
  
"Brie-chan, please. Give me another chance. Onegi." Ryo clasped both her hands in his.  
  
"I don't think I can…Gomenasi, Ryo-san." She took her hands back and ran from the room.  
  
~~  
  
/we find a special friend/  
  
Gabriella began sobbing again as the shock set in again. After she had run from the room, she'd run all the way home and locked herself in her room for a few hours until dusk. She had then emerged and sat down in front of the t.v and had watched mind-numbing re-runs of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Boy Meets World, and old Nick-at-Nite shows until well after midnight. Slowing her sobs down to the silent whimpers of a pained heart, she'd slipped out of her two-story home and locked it. She pulled the car key out of her pocket and unlocked her red, used Jeep Cherokee. Hopping in, she secured her seat belt and inserted the key into the ignition. She started the car and drove off into the moist, dark night.  
  
/who never lets us down/  
  
"Shimatta, girl! You outta be used to this!" she berated herself as she drove along the deserted back roads. "He's done it before…" Suddenly, a shrill, high-pitched sound broke the sad quietness that had blanketed the car. Brie stared at the offending object for a quick second before she picked up the small cell phone her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.   
  
"Moshi moshi?" she asked into the phone, pressing it to her right ear and shouldering it so it wouldn't fall.  
  
/who understands it all/  
  
"Brie-chan? It's Sasami. Where the hell are you? I've been trying to reach you nearly all night!" Sasami Sakura, Brie's best friend and confidant, not to mention her fellow leader and fighting comrade, yelled out into the small speaker.   
  
"Hey, Sasa-chan!" she faked cheerfulness, "I'm just out, driving around. Wha'cha need?"  
  
"Um…someone's trying to find you?" Sasami's answer almost sounded questioning.  
  
"Who?" The single word was spat out with a coldness and hatred that Sasami didn't know she had.  
  
"It's Ryo."   
  
"What the hell does he want know?"  
  
"To talk?"  
  
"Well, tell him to shove it. I don't wanna talk to him!" With that, she angrily shut off the phone off and tossed into the passenger seat angrily. Brie knew she sounded childish and spiteful, but she really didn't care at the moment.   
  
/reaches out each time we fall/  
  
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. 'Kuso, kuso, kuso! I *do not* need this now!' Brie cried out in surprise as a car came dangerously close to hitting her. Gasping for breath, she steered the jeep to the side of the road and switched off the ignition. Covering her tear-filled silver eyes with the heels of her hands, she proceeded to sob again.  
  
/You're the best friend that I've found/  
  
She wished she was somewhere else, some place a million miles from here, away from Tokyo. Anywhere but here, where she was tormented by the bittersweet memories of Ryo and her. She kept trying to tell herself that she should hate him, but it was useless. Sure, she was madder then hell at him, who wouldn't be, after he had forgotten her sixteenth birthday to go out with his new girlfriend. That part had stung the worst. When she had asked Sai where he had been, Sai has muttered, 'With Matoke, his new girlfriend.' And then had held her as she cried for three hours straight. Kento had wanted to go out and personally beat Ryo to a pulp, but Brie had been the one to stop him saying, 'Forget about it. Since I mean so little to him that he can't remember my sweet sixteen, then forget about him. I don't care anymore.' Mia had asked her if she would stay the night, but she declined with an 'I wanna be alone.' And had left to go to a quiet house where her mom was out on a date with her new boyfriend. They weren't due back until late.  
  
/I know you can't stay/  
  
And how he had left her and the others when he had jumped to the offer to go to the States for the summer. He'd promised he'd come and say goodbye before he'd leave. But did he honor that promise? No. She only got an e-mail over a week after he'd left. So, she'd gone and stayed at Mia's mansion for a while so she wouldn't feel so lonely and forgotten. Her mom had even left; her business having transferred her to Australia for the summer. Sai had watched her carefully, fearful that she'd attempt suicide or something. Nearly every night, she'd stayed in Sai's room with him because she'd wanted to stay with someone who would treat her like she was loved. She knew the rest of the guys loved her, but she and Sai had almost a brother/sister relationship. They had even gone from calling each other Sai-chan and Brie-chan to Sai-'niichan and Brie-onnesan. He was always protecting her, on and off the battlefield, and at school, keeping a close eye on her and making sure no one tried anything. The last guy that has tried to hurt her had been met with Sai's rare, but deadly, rage. After that incident, no one ever messed with Brie. As for Ryo, he barely ever called her while he was gone. But he called the guys whenever she was out and told them to tell her hi. It was almost as if he was scared to talk to her. And then, a week after he'd returned, he and Matoke, Brie worst enemy at school, began dating. Every time, he'd bring her to Mia's, Brie would find some excuse to leave, normally bringing Sai with her so she could cry on his shoulder or spar with him to get the rage and frustration out of her system, and refused to go back inside until she was sure her rival was gone.  
  
/But a part of you will never, ever go away/  
  
But then again, she was the youngest of the Mages and Ronins. The youngest, but then again Yumeko was only thirteen days older than she was. Even though she was a bit absent minded, and ditzy, she meant well. But Ryo didn't think so. No matter what she did, right or wrong, she got yelled at. She was the Co-leader of the Mages, he, the leader of the Ronins. But, he always acted like he was a god or something. Especially after they had broken up - for the fourth time. If she forgot to do one thing, he would yell at her and make her feel that she was a total idiot. Normally, Sai, being the peacekeeper, would break them up before they would start fighting.  
  
/Your heart will stay/  
  
Sai knew of the shaky ground she and Ryo treaded upon; he knew everything about them. He knew how much it hurt her to see him with Matoke, how much it hurt her to watch them be happy - together. Sai knew that a part of her heart would always love Ryo, even if she herself didn't realize it. No matter what happened between the duo, he would always stand up for her - even against his leader - he had taken a sacred oath from the Ancient that he would eternally protect the EarthFire Princess. No matter what.  
  
/ I'll make a wish for you/   
  
Brie attempted to get her raging emotions under control. But nothing worked. She waited a few seconds for her vision to clear before pulling back on the road. 'I'd better get home before Sasami has a spazz attack.' But she didn't feel like going home just yet. Ever since she and her mother had become more and more separate, she had been staying at Mia's more and more. Even if she felt like going home, no one would be there to welcome her; her mother was still in Australia on business.   
  
/And hope it will come true/  
  
She just wished her mother would call a little more often, rather than once a month. But she didn't want to say anything to her mom about it. Even though Mia had almost become a second mother to her, caring for her and comforting her if Sai wasn't around; but it was never the same.  
Crap. She was falling into depression again.  
  
/That life will just be kind/  
  
The last time she had go into depression, she had tried to run away. When that hadn't worked, she'd attempted to kill herself. That hadn't even worked. Sage had found her and healed her slashed wrists. But he hadn't been able to keep them from scarring. When Ryo had found out, World War III had erupted: Ryo's fiery temper versus Brie's Italian fury. It hadn't been pretty. That's what had lead them to break up for the fourth time. She had poured her fury and anger into her fighting, causing Ryo to yell at her for fighting to carelessly. Gods! Couldn't she do anything right in his eyes!?  
  
/To such a gentle mind/  
  
As Brie paused to wipe her eyes, one hand steering the heavy jeep, she was blinded when she looked up by twin pairs of headlights that seemed to have come out of nowhere. She began screaming as she realized that she was about to be hit. Instinct caused her to throw up her arms to shield her face as she heard the collision. She screamed louder as she heard the shriek of metal and felt the glass shatter and fly onto her arms, slicing the skin. When she took and deep breath, she smelled gas the second before she heard the explosion. Beginning to drift into blackness, she struggled to remain in the world of the living. She shook her head, trying to sort out what was going on. She heard the sirens as ambulances and police rushed to the accident scene. The last words from her lips were 'Aishitaru, Ryo.' The blackness that had clouded her vision consumed her.  
  
/If you lose you way/  
  
~ Hospital ~  
  
The congregation of Brie's friends and family sat in the hard, stiffed-back waiting room chairs as they waited for the doctors that were looking over her. Sasami arose from her dull yellow chair and strode over to where Ryo sat in a dark purple chair. Pulling her right hand back, she slapped him across the face, hard.   
  
"You are a bastard. If you had just left her alone, none of this would have happened! She would be okay! This is all your fault!" She shouted, startling the others in the room. But Ryo just sat there, still as a stone.  
  
"Don't you think I know that?!" Sasami was taken back at the self-anger in his voice. "This is all my fault. If she doesn't pull through…" he trailed off as tears began falling down his face.  
  
/Think back on yesterday/  
  
The eleven heads turned as they heard the room's door swish open. A young doctor stood there, her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that reached her back. She cleared her throat. "Who is the guardian of Stoker, Gabriella?"   
  
Mia stood and brushed the tears from her cheeks. "I am. Is she…?"  
  
"Hai. She pulled through and is finally stable. If you wish, you may visit her one at a time; don't overwhelm her. She's still groggy from the medication, but awake. Her room is 219." The doctor turned and walked back through the doors, to treat more patients. The warriors looked at each other, trying to decide who should go first. Sasami solved that problem by hauling Ryo to his feet and giving him a powerful shove in the direction of her friend's room.   
  
"Go."  
  
"But-" Ryo sputtered for a second before he was silenced by her hard glare.  
  
"Go. Now. She might not realize it, but she needs you more than anything right now. Besides, you promised that you would always be there for her, remember?"  
  
"Yea, but are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. Now, GO!" Sasami gave him another shove in the direction of Brie's room. Ryo began walking towards to the stark white hospital room that held her. The girl he had lost countless times and had almost lost forever. He and Matoke had broken up that night; she had been mad that he'd had to leave early from their date to go to the hospital.   
  
She angrily called after him, "I thought I was important to you. You broke up with her to go out with me, remember? How can you still have feelings for that - that castaway, that bitch? Well, answer me damn it!"   
  
He had stopped in his tracks when she had called Brie a bitch. He had turned around and gave her a full force glare from hell. He'd said, "Well, if that's how you feel about it, then goodbye. I'm breaking up with you. Go to hell."   
  
And then he'd run off to the hospital where he hadn't exactly been accepted with open arms. The majority of the people in the waiting room hadn't even acknowledged that he was there. He had expected it. Ryo shook his head as he reached room 219. He opened the heavy oak door - the only color in the bland hallways. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and turned around. The sight that greeted his eyes caused him to gasp and reach out to the wall for support.   
  
/Remember me this way/  
  
The still form could not be Brie. No way in hell could that be her. She was forever jumping around, acting crazy. Or she'd be talking to Sai and Rowen and Sage at the same time about three different things, or singing with the radio or a c.d., dancing around the room, even getting the always working Mia to come out of her office to dance or goof off with her. There was no way that that could be Brie in that bed. Ryo took a deep breath and a cautious step towards the sea-green covered bed. Halfway to his goal, Brie moaned softly and shook her head slowly, trying to shake the cobwebs out of her brain.   
  
"Damn…wha'd the hell hit me?" she asked no one in particular, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. Once her vision cleared, she gasped in shock to see Ryo there. Of all the people in world, why was he here? "Wha - Wha - what the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
Ryo closed the distance to the bed. "Sai called and told me."  
  
She shook her head in disbelief. "Why did you come?" Brie desperately tried to calm her heart and the butterflies in her stomach. She felt the same way when she had bumped into him in the street all those months ago.  
  
/Ooh, ooh/  
  
"Because I was scared to death over you! Why wouldn't I have come? I love you."  
  
"Ryo. We have been over this. Why are you - " she was suddenly silenced as Ryo's lips claimed hers. "What the hell are you doing!? YOU have a GIRLFRIEND! Remember!?" she cried as she shoved him away.  
  
"Not anymore."   
  
Brie blinked a few times as that set in. "What about the European exchange student thingy?"  
  
"Not going. I'm going to stay. Here."  
  
"But - but…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"It'll be okay."  
  
"I don't know." Brie bit her lip and shook her head, instantly regretting it. She hissed in vexation and placed a hand on her temple.  
  
"I do." Ryo placed his hand over hers and gave it a small squeeze.  
  
/Remember me/  
  
"How? How do you know? We're only teenagers, who grew up to fast. What do we know?" she asked, fighting back the tears that were threatening to burst forth.  
  
"I followed my heart. That's how I know." Ryo brought her face level with his.  
  
"I'm sorry, oh gods. I'm so sorry!" Brie shook her head again and placed her forehead against his chest.  
  
"S'ok." He gently rubbed her back, tenderly massaging the tension out of it.  
  
"I can't believe…"  
  
"Aishitaru." With two fingers, Ryo gently brought her face up to his and covered her lips with his.  
  
"Honto ne? Forever?" she asked as the kiss ended.  
  
"Hai. Forever."  
  
/This way/  
  
Elf's note: Hi y'all! Well, I finally finished this story. It only took severe boredom and a two week long bout of Mono to get my to finish this. Wow. And before anyone asks, no this isn't based on a true story…well the car wreck isn't. The majority of it is though. See this jerk (no names will be mentioned, but my two compadres, Juniper and LitaJupiter know who I'm talking about) forgets to tell me that he has a girlfriend (this is during Easter break last year) and we ended up kissing. Well, about three days later we're talking to a mutual friend and he lets slip that he has a girlfriend; has had a girlfriend for almost two weeks. Sooo…anyway. He drives me home and actually asks me why I'm pissed off at him. Big time asshole, huh? If you wanna know the rest of the story, e-mail me at AngelChild03@aol.com. Cuz, I gotta jet and start typing up my latest story. Peace out! Baibai! Oh yea…Ronin Warriors don't belong to me. Heh heh…I knew I forgot something! See ya!  
  
~Elf-chan  



End file.
